Usman Khawaja won't overstay his welcome in the Australia team but is adamant he has more to contribute and sees a significant role for himself in helping nurture Sam Konstas on his return to Test cricket against West Indies. Khawaja scored a career-best double-century earlier this year against Sri Lanka but his form returned to the spotlight with twin failures against Kagiso Rabada in the World Test Championship final. That continued a trend of lean returns against pace bowling following the challenges posed by Jasprit Bumrah last season and New Zealand's quicks earlier in 2024.

However, speaking after Lord's, head coach Andrew McDonald all but confirmed that Khawaja's position was secure for the Ashes later this year. Khawaja, who was the second-highest-scoring opener in the last WTC cycle, behind Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Australia's leading scorer overall, stands by his longer-term record and believes any downturn is more a symptom of his role in the side at a time when top-order batting has been a challenging prospect. Since the start of 2024 he averages 25.29 against pace, only a little below the global average of all openers of 27.84, compared to 65.80 against spin.

"I can't understand how I can [have a problem against seam bowling] if I can score so many runs in [Sheffield] Shield cricket or be the highest run-scorer for Australia in the WTC cycle," he said in Barbados ahead of the opening Test. "I open the batting for Australia. So I get out to seam more than I get out to anyone else. It's just part and parcel of the game. "I wish I could face more spinners, but you don't always get that opportunity. So, I'm facing the new-ball bowlers with the new ball every single time.

I went back from Sri Lanka to domestic cricket and scored a hundred against Tasmania. I pretty much faced seam the whole time there [and] against Riley Meredith, who is one of the fastest bowlers in the country." "I understand I'm 38 years old. People will be looking for an excuse. [But] I think I've got a role to play: open the batting, starting off, and setting a good platform for Australia." Since David Warner's retirement in early 2024, Khawaja has had five opening partners: Steven Smith, Nathan McSweeney, Konstas, Travis Head and, latterly, Marnus Labuschagne in the WTC final.

Khawaja spoke of the rapport he built with Warner in their 41 innings together at the top, which included almost a sixth sense of what the other was thinking - "I knew when and where he was going to drop and run a quick single, and I was ready for it" - and hoped to start forging something similar with Konstas in the West Indies with an eye to the Ashes. "With young Sammy coming in, it's an added role [for me]," he said. "To help Sammy along through his journey, trying to impart as much knowledge as I can. I won't be around forever.

But it's very important that I can do whatever I can, obviously first and foremost, [to] have a solid partnership between us but then bit of stability at the top [and] also guide him through this journey. He's still very young, he's a 19-year-old boy, and it's quite exciting. "There's obviously this series and then a big Ashes coming up. [You] probably want a little bit of stability at the top. It'll be tough to chop and change, and opening is a tough place. Mentally it can be very tough. Going out there against the new ball and sometimes just getting a good ball and low scores.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)